The Apocalypse of John

Historical Context

Author: JohnDate: A.D. 95Location: Island of Patmos, Asia Minor mainland; Roman Empire; the heavenly firmamentSituation: Persecution of Christians by imperial edict — Domitian declared himself to be “Lord and God;” Christians (especially the noteworthy ones) were being rounded-up, arrested, imprisoned, exiled, or executed for failing to express their worship of the emperor: impiety = un-patriotic.Occasion: Apocalyptic literature arose out of oppression, foreign occupation, and persecution. The use of bizarre and enigmatic imagery (which often hides allusions to the oppressing empire under the guise of a previous enemy such as Egypt or Babylon) helps to veil any references to contemporary historical events and personalities. The present enemy would not readily understand the text, and thus would not respond by escalating its persecution of the faithful. It is possible that even the intended audience did not fully understand the precise meaning of the apocalyptic imagery.

Literary Context:

The overall shape of the Apocalypse of John (set in the context or liturgy & worship):

celestial liturgy continued: breaking of the seven seals w/sealing of God’s servants sounding of the seven trumpets w/cosmic conflict & Victory of God’s Lamb pouring of the seven bowls of God’s wrath punishment & fall of Babylon and pagan nations; victory in the heavens celestial liturgy concluded: the heavenly Jerusalem; new heaven and new earth

Literary Analysis:

Form: “apocalyptic” (prose, poetry / hymnography; oracles, etc.Literary Techniques: symbolism, metaphor, verbal repetition, chiasm and other patterns, irony, simile, alliteration, allusionary, allegorical, enigmatic imagery, pseudonyms, cryptic numbers, symbols, and mystical events, etc.Genre: Apocalyptic genre was most popular from about 200 B.C. until about A.D. 200. It had a profound and pervasive influence in Judaism (the book of Daniel being the archetype) and Christianity (The Revelation to John being the archetype) as an expression of hope in the face of oppression and persecution.

Hermeneutics:

Apocalyptic literature points simultaneously toward the past, the present and the future. It alludes to salvation history from events of ages gone by. It concerns the age in which it was written. It concerns the inauguration of the new age of God’s Kingdom to come. It is equally “applicable” and “relevant” to subsequent times and places (ages and environments) after its initial revelation. Apocalyptic literature is not a simple allegory that can be “translated” to fit a one-to-one correspondence with this or that particular era, setting, or meaning. Apocalyptic literature has special significance for its contemporary world, but it also has a universal meaning:

“The Kingdoms of the world have become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ and He shallreign unto the ages of ages.” (Rev. 11:15)

The purpose of God’s revelation (apocalypse) is to show the whole community of faithful – in the midst of a world gone mad with the sometimes subtle, and sometimes obvious intoxicating, destructive, and fatal machinations of Satan – a glimpse of the true homeland which beckons our return. With such a goal upon which we set our sights and toward which we strive, we are promised strength from God to bear the suffering and hostility of this world in this age, and to emerge victorious on the Great Day of His Appearing.

The “apocalypsis” that St. John sent to the churches of Asia Minor (which were under his oversight) was intended to call his flock to faithful endurance amid raging persecution. By sharing in the visions he was granted, his flock could also find (and share with others) the comfort and encouragement echoed in the message of Psalm 91, “The Lord is God and has revealed Himself unto us” (Ps. 118:27).

A Collection of Beastly Numbers (Apoc. 13:18)

X / 666Beast Common Denominator 0.00150150… Reciprocal of the Beast 25.8069758… Square Root of the Beast 443556 Square of the Beast 1010011010 Binary Number of the Beast Route 666 Highway of the Beast 666 mph Beast’s Highway Speed Limit 666 Biblical Number of the Beast DCLXVI Roman Numeral of the Beast 665 Number of the Beast’s Older Brother 667 Number of the Beast’s Younger Sister 999 Number of the Australian Beast 6, uh…, I forget Number of the Blond Beast 666.0000 Number of the High Precision Beast 00666 Zip Code of the Beast 666@hell.org E-mail Address of the Beast www.666.com Website of the Beast 1-666-666-6666 Phone & FAX Number of the Beast 1-888-666-6666 Toll Free Number of the Beast 1-900-666-6666 Live Beasts, available now! Only $6.66 per minute! [Must by over 18] 666-66-6666 Social Security Number of the Beast 66.6% Tax Rate of the Beast 666 Minutes Weekly News Show about the Beast 666o F Oven Temperature for Cooking “Roast Beast” 666k Retirement Plan of the Beast Word 6.66 Word Processor of the Beast Windows 666 Bill Gates’ Personal Beast Operating System 66.6 MHz FM Radio Station of the Beast 666 KHz AM Radio Station of the Beast 666-i BMW of the Beast